The Incas ruled a vast kingdom in South America for hundreds of years and their often spectacular ruins are scattered across the continent. The greatest concentration is to be found in modern day Peru which served as the seat of the empire with Cusco being the capital.
The classical style of Incan architecture is displayed clearly in the central buildings of Machu Picchu which are composed of impressive dry-stone walls. To build these walls, the Incas used blocks of stone that were cut so accurately that mortar was not needed and between which it is impossible to pass a knife blade. This technique was thought to have been used as Peru is located along the Nazca fault line and seismic activity is common. Construction of this type, without the use of mortar, is considered more resistant to earthquakes than if mortar were used. Over time, the dry-stone walls have moved somewhat but have resettled in slightly different positions and have not collapsed, the proof is in the pudding!
The Incas also used other architectural techniques to help prevent their buildings from collapsing during earthquakes, these included doors and windows which have a trapezoidal shape, tilting inward towards the top plus the interior corners of walls would be inclined and often the stone blocks would be arranged in an L-shape that tied the outside corners of the building together. Terraces, both lineal and circular, were used extensively for creating areas for crop cultivation with the additional side effect of stabilizing the soil and preventing landslides. The terrain in the Andes is very steep indeed and you will see these Inca terraces all over Peru, particularly good examples can be seen at Pisaq and Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
The Incas were aware of the wheel and its usefulness but chose not use it in their considerable engineering feats. The steep terrain and lack of very strong pack animals would have made the use of the wheel fairly impractical even for the moving and positioning of the large stones that made up the majority of their buildings. It is generally believed that a large labor force of hundreds of men were used to push the stones up inclined planes and that protrusions on the stones were used to manhandle them into position. Most of these protrusions were removed after use to leave a flat surface but you can still see example while wandering within the many ruins.
Machu Picchu – Jewel in the Crown
Each of the Inca sites has its special features and significance, far too many to go into here. The ruin at Machu Picchu is the jewel in the crown of the Inca empire and consists of 140 structures that include temples, sanctuaries, parks and houses with roofs that were once thatched (some have been restored for show). Also found within the ruins are over 100 flights of stairs, and a great number of water fountains that were interconnected by channels and drains dug into the rock, which were used as an irrigation system to bring water to each of the thatched houses.
Two sectors, the urban and the agricultural sectors, make up the “Lost City of the Incas”. The upper and lower districts divide the agricultural sector while the urban sector is comprised of three parts known as the sacred district, the popular district and the district of the priests and the nobility. The sacred district is home to the most religious aspects of the Incas and included the famous Intihuatana (literally “hitching post of the sun”), the temple of the sun and the room of the three windows, all dedicated to the sun god, the primary deity of the Incas. Lower and working class people lived in the popular district which is comprised of simple houses and storage buildings. The last district was reserved for royalty and nobility, with houses located in rows over a steep slope with great views of the surrounding mountains. This area was distinguished by its reddish walls indicative of wise people and also trapezoid-shaped rooms for the princesses and nobility. The monumental mausoleum was also located in this district and was used for various ritualistic purposes.
It has been discovered that the people living in Machu Picchu were involved in long distance trade which can be proved by the non-local artifacts found at the site by various explorers. These artifacts were typically made of obsidian stone and were able to reach the region due the extensive and well maintained road systems that the Incas built leading to the Cusco region and to Machu Picchu itself. The best known of these became known as the Inca Trail and today many thousands of tourists make the two to four day hike along this trail, starting in outside Cusco and walking through the Urubamba Valley, up into the Andes mountains, arriving at Machu Picchu.
You would need years to fully visit the different Inca sites just in Peru but a very informative snapshot can be taken in a two week visit with the highlight of Machu Picchu and Cusco area being top of the list.
